My Convention Speech

Fortunately, I’ve been spared from giving one this year (thank you, Jesus!) so let me just update the last one, with none of the stress of trying to read it from a Teleprompter:

This is the fifth time I’ve had the honor to address you, and each time, I speak about the same two things: money and equality.

First, equality. The Democratic Party has dramatically improved the lives of millions of lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual Americans. And at no cost to anyone else.

Second, money. The Democratic Party is the party of Social Security, Federally Insured bank accounts, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, unions, the minimum wage, Pell grants — and so much more that’s helped lift the American middle class.

The economy does significantly better under Democrats. And so do investors. The stock market tripled under Bill Clinton and has more than doubled since Barack Obama took office. And listen to this: If you had started in 1921 with $10,000 and invested it in the market only in the 48 years that REPUBLICANS held the White House, it would have grown – not counting dividends — to less than $50,000. But to more than $600,000 in the 48 years Democrats held the White House!

I favor the Party that invests in the future and boosts the middle class and those aspiring to join it. I favor the Party under whose leadership $10,000 grows to SIX HUNDRED thousand instead of fifty.

The party under whose last 16 years of leadership – Clinton and Obama – more than 30 million net new private sector jobs were added. Compared with fewer than ONE million net new jobs under the last two REPUBLICANS in the White House.

I favor the party under whose leadership the economy grows FASTER than our debt – as it did under President Clinton and is now again under President Obama – but did NOT under Presidents Reagan, Bush or Bush. Under Democrats, the National Debt gradually SHRINKS relative to the economy as a whole.

But money isn’t everything. The freedom to be who you are and love who you love without fear or oppression are even more important.

In 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton let the world know that the President of the United States and First Lady had a vision of America that included equality for gays and lesbians. It’s easy to forget what a huge deal this was. How unprecedented it was. It gave space for governors and mayors and university presidents and CEO’s to come out openly in favor of equality, too. It gave space for moms and dads and celebrities and friends and neighbors and co-workers and enlightened clergy to embrace their fellow Americans. Love is love. We are stronger together.

In the years since 1993, we have made almost unimaginable progress — with Republicans fighting us every step of the way.